IELTS English Vocabulary - C
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IELTS
English Vocabulary -
C
CAPABLE:
(adjective) Able,
confident, skilled. For example: ‘I sometimes feel I am not capable of writing
my university essays in English, it is quite difficult for me.’
CAPACITY:
(noun) Size, volume.
For example: ‘The class is full to capacity so I will have to wait and enroll
in a new class next month.’
(noun) The penalty of
death for a crime
CATEGORY:
A division or class
of something. For example: There are several categories of cars – family cars,
sports cars, 4 wheel drives…
CAUSE:
(noun) The reason
something happens. Example: ‘The cause of rising sea levels is the melting of
polar ice’.
CEASE:
(verb) Stop, end,
finish. For example: ‘He has been made redundant and his employment contract
will officially cease on July 21st.’
CELEBRITY:
(noun) Someone very
well known; a public figure. ‘Many celebrities, such as Tom Cruise, are
photographed wherever they go.’
CENTRALLY CONTROLLED:
(adjective)
Controlled by a country’s government, not by local governments.
CERTAINTY:
(noun) No doubt;
sure. Example: ‘It is a certainty that the world’s population will increase.’
CHALLENGE:
(verb) To argue
against an opinion. Example: ‘In IELTS writing, you may need to challenge an
opinion by giving a different point of view’.
(noun) A difficult
situation. Example: ‘Studying in a second language can be a challenge for many
students’.
CHALLENGING:
(adjective)
Difficult, not easy. Example: ‘It can be challenging for international students
to study at university in a second language’.
CHANNEL:
(verb) Direct, guide,
feed. For example: ‘The Government promises to channel more funds into fighting
crime if they win the next election.’
CHAPTER:
(noun) Section, part
of a book. For example: ‘The information we learned today in the lecture is
found in more detail in chapter 10 of the textbook.’
CHARACTER:
(noun) How someone
behaves / thinks / acts. Example: ‘He has a very friendly, approachable
character.’
CHART:
(noun) graph, table,
diagram. For example: ‘It was clear from the bar chart that sales had risen in
the period January-April.’
CHEMICAL:
(noun) Substance,
element, compound. For example: ‘There are many harmful chemicals in cigarette
smoke.’
CIRCUMSTANCE:
(noun) Situation,
event. For example: ‘It should depend on the individual circumstances of the
crime, as to whether the death penalty is implemented.’
CITE:
(verb) Situation,
event. For example: ‘It is important to cite the name of the author you have
used information from in academic writing for university.’
CIVIL:
(adjective) Related
to individuals and the general public. For example: ‘Civil rights allow the
right to privacy in most countries.’
CIVILISED:
(adjective) Having a
high state of culture, technology or society. Example: ‘Many ancient cultures,
such as the Egyptians and the Aztecs, were highly civilised.’
CLAIM:
(noun) Something
stated as fact, though not necessarily proven. Example: ‘His claims have been
ignored by the government’.
CLARIFY:
(verb) Explain, make
clear. For example: ‘The instructions given on the examination paper were not
clear so we asked the invigilator to clarify what we had to do.’
CLASSIC:
(adjective) Typical.
For example: ‘A classic example of discrimination is lower pay for women.’
CLASSIFY:
(verb) To put into a
group or category. Example: ‘Humans are classified as mammals. Sharks are
classified as fish’.
CODE:
(noun) Rule, regulation.
For example: ‘Knowledge of the highway code is tested in the driving test in a
theory exam.’
COHERENCE:
(noun) Able to
be understood. Example: ‘An essay needs to show coherence; that is, a logical
flow of ideas’. See also COHERENT
COHERENT:
(adjective) Logical,
reasoned. For example: ‘In order to gain good marks it is important to write an
essay which has good ideas and is coherent.’
COHESION:
(noun) Joining
ideas together. Example: ‘A good essay will be easy to understand because of
its cohesion’
COINCIDE:
(verb) Happen
togther, match, overlap. For example: ‘The date for my IELTS exam coincided
with my college exams so I did not have enough time to study properly as I had
too much to do.’
COLLAPSE:
(verb) Give way,
fail, come to nothing. For example: ‘The ideas and proposal for the new
business development collapsed when it became clear that necessary funding was
not available.’
COLLEAGUE:
(noun) Co-worker. For
example: ‘Having supportive colleagues in the workplace is very important’
COLLOQUIAL:
(adjective) Local and
informal language. Example: ‘Mate’ means ‘friend in many English speaking
countries’.
SLANG (noun) Words
used informally, often by particular groups.
COMBINATION:
(noun) When two or
more things are put together. Example: ‘Some IELTS questions will require you
to use a combination of skills and abilities’.
COMFORTABLE:
(adjective) Calm,
relaxed, at ease. Example: ‘It is important to show the examiner that you are
comfortable speaking English during your IELTS test’.
COMMENCE:
(verb) Start, begin.
For example: ‘The new university semester commences on February 25th and all
new students need to enroll the week before.’
COMMENT:
(verb) Say in
passing, mention, point out. For example: ‘My teacher commented that my English
has improved a lot in the last two months when I spoke with her the other day.
‘
COMMISSION:
(verb) Appoint,
authorise. For example: ‘ In many people’s opinion artworks commissioned by the
Council, are an example of money badly spent as there are more important
projects to spend money on.’
COMMIT TO:
(verb) Pledge. For
example: ‘Although the Government said, during the last election that it was
committed to reducing crime rates there has been an increase in violent crime
in the last three years.’
COMMODITY:
(noun) Product, good
or service. For example: ‘Electronic commodities such as computers and
equipment have fallen dramatically in price since their introduction to the
market.’
COMMON:
(adjective)
#1 – Similar, shared.
Example: ‘It is beneficial if husbands and wives have common interests’.
#2 – Usual, regularly
occuring. Example: ‘It is common for language learners to make grammar
mistakes’.
COMMUNICATE:
To give or exchange
thoughts, ideas or opinions.
COMMUNITY:
(noun) A group of
people in society. For example: ‘Over recent years local communities have
become more concerned about increase in crime in their areas.’
COMPARATIVE:
(grammar term) The
form of an adjective used for comparing. Example: tall > taller
COMPARISON:
(noun) When something
is compared to something else. Example: ‘There have been comparisons made
between the landscape of New Zealand and Norway’.
COMPATIBLE:
(adjective)
Well-matched, like-minded. For example: ‘It is important for employers to
employ the most suitable person for a job and that the employee’s personality
is compatible with the position being offered.’
COMPENSATE:
(verb) Balance, make
up for. For example: ‘Nowadays some parents try to compensate for having little
time to spend with their children by giving them too many material things such
as toys and games.’
COMPILE:
(verb) List, compose,
record. For example: ‘Before I go to the library I need to compile a list of
information I need to look for while I am there.’
COMPLAIN:
(verb) To say that
you are not satisfied or happy with something or someone. Example: ‘The
customer complained about the poor service’.
(noun) = Complaint
COMPLEMENT:
(verb) Add to,
accompany. For example: ‘Following a healthy diet and taking regular exercise
complement each other well to create a healthy lifestyle..’
COMPLEX:
(adjective) Not
simple, involved, difficult. For example: ‘Arguments in support of, and against
the death penalty need to be considered carefully, as the subject is extremely
complex.’
COMPLICATED:
(adjective)
Difficult, intricate. Example: ‘Mathematics studied at university level is
complicated’.
COMPONENT:
(noun) Part, piece.
For example: ‘Tom has the ability to fix my computer but is unsure if he can
find the correct components he needs to sort out the problem.’
COMPOUND:
(verb) Add to,
increase (a negative situation). For example: ‘Governments should invest more
money into public health care as lack of funds only compound the problem
hospitals are facing.’
COMPREHENSIVE:
(adjective) Wide-ranging,
thorough. For example: ‘Hospitals should provide comprehensive information
booklets so that patients will know what to expect when they have an
operation.’
COMPRISE:
(verb) Include,
contain, thorough. For example: ‘Australia comprises several states including
the A.C.T. which contains Canberra.’
COMPULSORY:
(adjective).
Essential, must be done, no choice. Example: ‘It is compulsory to have a
passport when travelling overseas’.
CONCEIVE:
(verb) Visualise,
imagine, think of. For example: ‘It is difficult for us to conceive the long
term environmental impact of our actions now. ‘
CONCENTRATE:
(verb) Focus, think.
For example: ‘It is important to concentrate when revising for exams, study
some where quietly and switch of all distractions including radios and TV.’
CONCEPT:
(noun) Idea, theory.
For example: ‘I am learning about Marketing concepts in my class this week, it
is interesting to find out about so many different theories.’
CONCESSION:
(noun) An
acknowledgment or admission that there are opinions different to your own.
Example: ‘It is important to add a concession to your Task II essay to show
that you can consider other opinions’.
CONCLUDE:
(verb) End, finish,
bring to a close. For example: ‘Before concluding the meeting the CEO thanked
us for attending and for our input.’
CONCRETE:
(adjective). Real,
not theoretical or abstract. Example: ‘A concrete example’
(noun) A substance
that is mixed with sand and water to create a solid material used in building.
CONCURRENT:
(adjective) Same time,
simultaneous. For example: ‘The country’s army had no time to respond due to
the concurrent attacks by sea, land and air.’
CONDITIONAL CLAUSE:
(grammar term) A
sentence that has an ‘if’ statement – can be zero, 1st, 2nd, 3rd or mixed).
Example: ‘If students study hard, they have a better chance of success’. (This
is a zero conditional clause)
CONDUCT:
(noun) Behaviour,
ways, manner. For example: ‘The high standard of conduct expected of children
at the school is important in helping them learn lessons for later in life.’
CONFER:
(verb) Consult,
discuss. For example: ‘Education institutions should confer more with parents
to discuss solutions to the growing problem of children missing school.’
CONFIDENT:
(adjective) Having no
doubts; to be sure; being self-assured. Example: ‘It is important to appear
confident in an interview situation’.
CONFINE:
(verb) Constrict,
limit. For example: ‘A number of countries are now confining cigarette smoking
to outside areas only in public places.’
CONFIRM:
(verb) Check, verify.
For example: ‘It is shop owners’ responsibility to confirm their customers are
old enough to buy cigarettes by asking them to provide identification.’
(noun) CONFIRMATION
Example: ‘A confirmation has been made for the booking next month’.
CONFLICTING:
(adjective)
Differing, opposite. For example: ‘There are a number of conflicting opinions
on whether technology has improved or reduced quality of life.’
CONFORM:
(verb) Fit in with,
follow rules of conduct, match. For example: ‘Younger people nowadays find it
difficult to conform to the rules of society.’
CONFRONTATIONAL:
(adjective) The state
of being argumentative or in opposition. Example: ‘Some teenagers can become
confrontational when talking to their parents’.
CONFUSE:
(verb) To mix up, to
not understand correctly. Example: “It can be easy to confuse tenses in English
grammar’.
CONNECT:
(verb) To link, to
join. Example: ‘In English, you can connect ideas with linking words’.
CONSCRIPTION:
(noun) Compulsory
recruitment into the military. Example: ‘Many countries still have
conscription’.
CONSENT:
To AGREE
CONSEQUENT:
(adjective)
Resulting, following. For example: ‘A number of people were concerned about the
change in government policy and the consequent protests were no surprise.’
CONSIDER:
(verb) Think
carefully about. Example: ‘You need to consider possible synonyms for keywords
before scanning the reading passage for the answer’.
CONSIDERABLE:
(adjective) Large,
sizeable, substantial. For example: ‘A recent survey showed that a considerable
number of parents have little knowledge regarding the signs of drug use.’
CONSIST:
(verb) Be made up of.
For example: ‘The main basis of his argument consisted of the facts and figures
he had direct from the survey.’
CONSONANT:
(noun). Letters in
the alphabet that are not a,e,i,o or u.
Some words can begin
with a vowel but have a consonant sound. Example: university
(yoo-ni-ver-si-ty), uniform (yoo-ni-form).
CONSTANT:
(adjective)
Continual, endless. For example: ‘There have been constant problems since the
new policy has been introduced.’
CONSTITUENT PARTS:
(noun phrase) Parts
or ingredients that together make a whole. Example: ‘There are many constituent
parts to a car engine’.
CONSTITUTE:
(verb) Comprise, make
up, form. For example: ‘The research I have collected constitutes a very good
basis for my assignment.’
CONSTRAIN:
(verb) Limit,
restrict, hinder. For example: ‘In order to constrain the increasing use of
illegal drugs, stricter penalties should be introduced.’
CONSTRUCT:
(verb) Build, put
together, make. For example: ‘It is important to construct a solid argument for
your essay and making notes beforehand helps enormously.’
CONSULT:
(verb) Ask, check
with. For example: ‘It is important for patients to consult their doctor before
taking any additional medication.’
CONSUME:
(verb)
1. to expend by use;
use up. ‘Cities consume a high percentage of a country’s energy, due to the
high populations living there.’
2. to eat or drink
up; devour. ‘Many people consume a great deal of junk food ona regular
basis.’
3. to destroy, as by
decomposition or burning: Fire consumed the forest.
4. to spend (money,
time, etc.) wastefully.
5. to absorb;
engross: consumed with curiosity.
CONTACT:
(verb). Write
to/speak to, get in touch with. Example: ‘It is the school’s responsibility to
contact parents of children they suspect are taking drugs.’
CONTAIN:
(verb) To include, to
hold within. Example: ‘The IELTS reading and listening tests both contain 40
questions.’
CONTEMPORARY:
(adjective). Modern.
Example: ‘In my opinion contemporary novels are more interesting and true to
life than classic literature.’
CONTEXT:
(noun). Perspective,
background. Example: ‘A good essay will put all ideas and arguments into a
clear context.’
CONTINENTS:
Groups of countries;
large masses of land. For example: Europe, Asia
CONTRACT:
(noun). Written and
signed agreement, legally binding document. Example: ‘An employment contract
protects the rights of both employer and employee.’
CONTRADICT:
(verb). Disagree
with, challenge the view of, oppose. Example: ‘The findings in the new research
project contradict those from the earlier survey.’
CONTRARY:
(adjective). Opposite.
Example: ‘There are many contrary opinions to this view.’
CONTRARY (On the contrary):
(noun). Opposite.
Example: ‘Sensible exercise has no ill effects on the body; on the contrary it
brings enormous benefits.’
CONTRAST:
(noun). Difference,
strong dissimilarity. Example: ‘There is enormous contrast between the
landscapes of the two countries.’
CONTRIBUTE:
(verb). Add, give.
Example: ‘Older workers in the work force are important as they contribute
their experience, wisdom and patience.’
CONTROVERSIAL:
(adjective) Arguable,
disputable, likely to cause disagreement. Example: ‘The government’s decision
to reduce funding of public healthcare was controversial.’
CONTROVERSY:
(noun). Arguement,
disagreement. Example: ‘A decision to fine parents of children who are not
attending school would cause a huge amount of controversy.’
CONVENE:
(verb). Come
together, assemble. Example: ‘United Nations representatives will convene in
Europe next month.’
CONVENTIONAL:
(adjective) Following
accepted customs and traditions. Example: ‘In western countries, it is
conventional for the bride to wear a white dress on her wedding day.’
CONVERT:
(verb). Change, alter
from one use or purpose to another. Example: ‘In many parts of the world forest
land has been converted to agricultural land and this has impacted on the
environment.’
CONVINCE:
(verb). Persuade,
encourage another to believe a point of view. Example: ‘It has been difficult
to convince the general public of the dangers related to this.’
COOPERATE:
(verb) Work together.
For example: ‘It is important for Governments of different countries to
cooperate together to find a solution to global warming.’
COORDINATE:
(verb) Organise,
bring together. For example: ‘The conference will require a huge amount of organisation
so the company has appointed an Events Manager to coordinate the project.’
CORE:
(adjective) Central,
main. For example: ‘The company is involved in many different areas of business
but its core business is computer software.’
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT:
(noun phrase)
Physical punishment. Example: ‘Corporal punishment, such as caning, is now
banned in many schools.’
CORPORATE:
(adjective) Business
or company related, commercial. For example: ‘It is relatively easy to find out
information at companies these days as on the web there are numerous sites
holding corporate information.’
CORRELATION:
(noun) A connection
or link between things. Example: ‘There is a correlation between healthy living
and lifespan’.
CORRESPOND:
(verb) Match, match
up to, relate to. For example: ‘The findings from this research project
correspond with those from earlier studies.’
COUNTERPART:
(noun) Equal,
equivalent. Example: ‘A prime minister is the counterpart of a president’.
COUPLE WITH:
(verb) Combine, link,
join. For example: ‘Rising unemployment amongst graduates coupled with
increasing costs to study at university have resulted in the decreasing
enrolments into university programmes.’
CREATE:
(verb) Make, invent,
produce, generate. For example: ‘The arrival of the new factory has created a
number of job opportunities for local people.’
CREDIT:
(noun) Praise,
recognition, acclaim. For example: ‘Nursing staff are often not given enough
credit for the difficult job they perform.’
CRITERIA:
(noun) Condition
related to a situation. For example: ‘The successful candidate for the job must
meet all the criteria laid down in the job description.’
CRUCIAL:
(adjective)
essential, necessary, vital. For example: ‘It is crucial that governments
provide good education opportunities for teenagers to ensure a successful
future for the country.’
CULPABLE:
(noun) The state of
being guilty of doing something. ‘He is culpable for the damage his children
caused.’
CULTURE:
(noun) Society,
traditon, customs, way of life. For example: ‘It is an important education for
people to experience different cultures as it allows them the opportunity to
better understand people from countries different to their own.’
CURE:
(noun) Treatment,
solution. Example: ‘Many people are searching for a cure for the common cold’.
CURRENCY:
(noun) Money,
exchange. For example: ‘Currency exchange in Europe is no longer an issue as
the majority of countries use the Euro.’
CYCLE:
(noun) Series,
sequence. For example: ‘Students may be required to describe a process for Task
1 of the writing exam, for example the Water Cycle which describes the journey
of water from land to sky and back again.’
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